Open to opportunities

Kris ZHAO

@kriszhao

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Senior full-cycle recruiter bridging executive search and AI startup hiring with 0-to-1 HR systems.

Zimbabwe

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a remote senior full-cycle recruiting role where I can own end-to-end talent acquisition for AI teams and build scalable HR/recruiting infrastructure—combining exec search rigor with AI-native sourcing and standardized evaluation to improve hiring quality.

I’m a remote Senior Full-Cycle Recruiter with 10+ years of corporate-to-startup experience, bridging premium executive search, big-tech organizational efficiency (ByteDance), and global full-cycle recruitment for venture-backed AI startups. After serving as an HRBP and Talent Acquisition Partner, I now focus on building end-to-end recruiting engines that are scalable, measurable, and aligned to business goals.

In my current role (Magic), I delivered 0-to-1 HR infrastructure and tailored talent architecture, including implementing a centralized ATS (Greenhouse) and standardized competency-based interview evaluation matrices. I’ve led cross-border hiring across Japan, China, Singapore, and the US—scaling a remote workforce from 20 to 50+ in 8 months with an 86% offer-accept rate—and built an AI-native recruiting operating system using Claude to cut manual sourcing time by 40% while standardizing candidate evaluation. Earlier, at ByteDance, I partnered with a 150+ employee unit and delivered 200+ annual offers, including VP/C-suite placements.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Remote Senior Full-Cycle Recruiter & HR

Current

Magic

Jan 2021 - Present (5 years 6 months)

Delivered tailored talent architecture and built HR infrastructure from 0-to-1, alongside executive search support for AI startups. Implemented a scalable recruitment ecosystem using an ATS and standardized competency-based evaluation matrices.

Talent Acquisition Executive Search HR Infrastructure ATS (Greenhouse Recruitment Ecosystem Design Full Cycle Recruiting

Talent Acquisition Partner & Exec Lead

ByteDance

Jan 2019 - Jan 2021 (2 years)

Led talent acquisition and executive recruitment, delivering 200+ annual offers across Engineering, Product, and Operations roles. Delivered VP/C-suite hires and achieved a 100% onboarding rate for level 4+ roles, supporting BU strategic roadmap delivery.

Talent Acquisition Executive Recruitment Offer Management Onboarding Programs Strategic Workforce Planning

HRBP Role

ByteDance

Jan 2019 - Jan 2021 (2 years)

Partnered with the Lark team (150+ employees), supporting hyper-growth execution and organizational effectiveness. Scaled the team from 50 to 150+ in 6 months and designed equitable performance frameworks aligned with shifting business goals.

Organizational Effectiveness Organizational Performance Frameworks C Suite Alignment

Managing Consultant

Hudson

Jan 2018 - Jan 2019 (1 year)

Established the first Data & AI consulting team from scratch and led AI, Data, and C-suite searches. Achieved annual personal performance of RMB 2.02 million while specializing in senior technology and data leadership placements.

Data & AI Consulting Executive Search NLP Engineering Talent Search

Senior Consultant

Hudson

Jan 2017 - Jan 2018 (1 year)

Provided consulting support across AI and data recruiting, including C-suite and senior technical searches. Specialized in placing CTO/CIO and data science/engineering talent.

Executive Search AI Recruiting Data Recruiting CTO Data Engineer NLP Engineering Talent

Consultant

Hudson

Jan 2015 - Jan 2017 (2 years)

Worked as a consultant conducting AI, Data, and executive searches. Contributed to building recruiting capability around technical and leadership roles.

Executive Search Leadership Hiring

Associate Consultant

Randstad

Jan 2015 - Oct 2015 (9 months)

Focused on the internet industry and served key clients, including Alibaba and Tencent. Supported client recruiting needs as an associate consultant.

Recruitment Consulting Internet Industry Hiring client support Alibaba Talent Support Tencent Talent Support

Trainee

Randstad

Jul 2014 - Dec 2014 (5 months)

Trainee role at Randstad supporting recruiting work focused on the internet industry and key clients. Gained exposure to client service and hiring processes.

Recruitment support Client Services Internet Industry Focus

Remote Senior Full-Cycle Recruiter

USAIGame Startup

Owned end-to-end, 100% remote search across the US, Europe, and APAC, building cross-border talent pipelines and closing senior technical and GTM leadership placements. Built an AI-native recruiting operating system using Claude to support technical sourcing, candidate scoring, and automated localized outreach, reducing manual sourcing time by 40%.

Full Cycle Recruiting Claude Automated Localized Outreach Workflows Candidate Evaluation Standardization

Remote Senior Full-Cycle Recruiter

International AI Startup

Architected and deployed a scalable talent acquisition infrastructure from 0-to-1, including a centralized ATS and standardized interview evaluation matrices. Led full-cycle recruitment across Japan, China, Singapore, and the US, scaling remote hiring from 20 to 50+ within 8 months with an 86% offer-accept rate.

Talent Infrastructure ATS (Greenhouse Standardized Interview Evaluation Full Cycle Recruiting